This year marks the centenary of Stoke-on-Trent, a city born out of the federation of six towns in 1925. It is a city built on partnerships, a union of equals that must now consider its future as it enters a second century.
We’re a unique city. A civic amalgamation of six towns (immortalised by Arnold Bennett in Anna of the Five Towns, but that’s another story and the subject of significant debate!) each with its own character, heritage, strengths, opportunities… and severe challenges.
For Stoke-on-Trent, the question is urgent: what role can its town centres play in delivering housing, economic regeneration, and the government’s ambitious growth agenda?
The challenges facing Stoke-on-Trent’s town centres are not unique but are deeply felt. For over a decade, the city has grappled with the financial consequences of austerity. Since 2010, local revenue grants have been slashed, leaving the city over £400 million worse off than if funding had simply been maintained.
As a result, Stoke-on-Trent has had to compete in what many see as an undignified “beauty parade” for pots of funding like the Levelling Up Fund. This fragmented approach fails to acknowledge that every town centre in the UK deserves support, not just those that succeed in an overly competitive process.
Town centres are far more than places to shop. In Stoke-on-Trent, the towns of Fenton, Hanley, Stoke, and Longton embody the pride, community, and dignity of their residents. These centres are the social fabric of the city, holding together its heritage and sense of identity. Yet they are struggling to thrive.
Decades of underinvestment, combined with economic pressures, have eroded their vibrancy. Footfall is down, business rates remain a burden, and small- and medium-sized enterprises—the lifeblood of local economies—find the high street increasingly out of reach.
While large retailers often have the resources to weather economic storms, it is the micro-businesses, often operating from garages or spare rooms, and the mid-sized shops that feel the brunt of the challenges. The lack of footfall and high costs have hollowed out many town centres, leaving boarded-up shops and a sense of decline.
Successes Amidst the Struggles
Despite these challenges, there are pockets of success in Stoke-on-Trent that offer hope. In Fenton, the community has rallied around its historic town hall. The building, managed by community interest groups like ReStoke and Step Up Stoke, has been transformed into a vibrant hub. It hosts events that draw visitors from across the West Midlands, demonstrating what determination and community spirit can achieve. The café inside the town hall, where MPs hold surgeries, has become a symbol of regeneration driven from the grassroots.
Similarly, in the town of Stoke, the Spode site—a historic ceramics works—is being reinvented as a creative hub. Thanks to funding from the Levelling Up initiative and support from the City Council, the site is emerging as a model for how heritage buildings can anchor a future of innovation, jobs, and housing. These projects show that with vision and partnership, town centres can be reimagined.
The Challenges of Hanley
Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent’s city centre, remains the most challenging of the six towns. For years, the narrative has been that fixing Hanley would fix the city. Yet grand plans for arenas and shopping centres, devised under the previous council administration, have repeatedly faltered. Without adequate planning, funding, or realistic goals, these projects have done little more than highlight the scale of the challenge.
One particularly egregious misstep was the construction of a multi-storey car park, funded through Levelling Up money, that now operates at a loss. This project symbolises a broader problem: investments that fail to meet the needs of a city grappling with in-work poverty and economic deprivation. Hanley needs more than token gestures—it requires a strategic partnership between local authorities, businesses, and the government to address its deep-seated issues.
A Call for Partnership
Stoke-on-Trent does not seek handouts but a new partnership with the government. The city needs tools, such as land consolidation powers and self-replenishing funds, to unlock its potential. Brownfield remediation and better support for micro- and medium-sized enterprises are essential if Stoke-on-Trent is to meet housing and economic growth targets.
There are already building blocks in place. The city centre business improvement district has made significant strides in organising events, food markets, and street-cleaning initiatives. However, these efforts are limited by cuts to municipal budgets and social services. The reduction in drug and alcohol support, for example, has exacerbated social issues in town centres, creating challenges for policing and public safety.
A Vision for the Future
Stoke-on-Trent’s town centres represent both its greatest challenge and its greatest opportunity. They are places where heritage can meet innovation, where economic regeneration can thrive alongside community pride. To achieve this, the government must support Stoke-on-Trent as an equal partner, providing the tools and funding needed to unlock its potential.
The centenary of Stoke-on-Trent is a moment for reflection but also for action. With a renewed focus on partnerships and practical solutions, the city’s six towns can not only survive but thrive—building a legacy that will endure for the next hundred years. For MPs considering the future of urban centres across the UK, Stoke-on-Trent’s journey offers lessons in resilience, innovation, and the power of community-driven regeneration.
